Lauren Legardy

About Lauren Legardy

Lauren Legardy is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, who majored in Economics with a proven track record of academic excellence and professional achievements. In the summer of 2023, her team earned 1st place in the prestigious Johns Hopkins Summer Business Academy Case Competition, showcasing her analytical prowess and strategic thinking. During the 2024 summer, she interned at Target as an Operations Manager intern, where she led a team of 11 members, ensuring they met daily performance metrics by effectively assigning them to functions. Ms. Legardy spearheaded a project to enhance efficiency, increasing the team’s Units Per Hour (UPH) average by 4 points through a targeted demonstration on pallet building. Additionally, she analyzed AD Hoc reporting data to present UPH metrics, audited errors, and provided senior management with comprehensive evaluations of operational efficiency using Gemba board metrics. She will be returning to Target in Chicago, Il working as an Operations Manager. While at Spelman she served as President of both the Business Organization and the Largest Service Organizations on campus while being an active member of her Sorority. She won awards including the 25 for 25 Awardee, Mayme E Jackson Outstanding Undergraduate Award and Executive Leadership Council. Ms. Legardy currently serves as the Head of Operations at Wiz Kids Foundation where she has streamlined operations by implementing company email systems, supply replenishment forms, and a client inquiry log, improving communication and efficiency across two sites, created and managed an Inventory Master Sheet to track supplies and sports equipment across both campuses and three storage centers, designed and launched two new roles—Operations Associate and Social Media Associate—to enhance inventory coordination and increase online engagement and oversaw logistics for educational field trips and curriculum delivery, ensuring all supplies, reservations, and materials supported smooth and engaging programming.Her accomplishments reflect a rare blend of leadership, strategic thinking, and operational excellence—especially remarkable at such an early stage in her career. Ms. Legardy has consistently demonstrated the ability to execute with excellence. Her commitment to growth, service, and results-driven leadership fuels her ambition to continue learning, building, and contributing meaningfully to every space she enters. She brings with her not only an impressive track record, but also an eagerness to evolve and exceed expectations in all future endeavors.

Experience

1. Operations Manager

   Target

   Jul 2025 — Present · Joliet, IL, US

   Lead inbound fulfillment operations for a 20-person team, overseeing freight receiving, prepping, put-away, and transport while aligning manpower with production targets- Develop daily staffing plans using workforce availability, training levels, and freight type to maximize efficiency and resource utilization- Manage performance through GEMBA boards, Manhattan, SCI, and Excel, tracking productivity, backlog, and delivery commitments across three daily operational “sets.”- Facilitate daily startups and check-and-adjust meetings with senior leaders, communicating operational performance, quality trends, and corrective actions- Ensure compliance with safety standards by tracking hazards/near misses, clearing aging freight, and submitting executive handoff reports with key metrics and lessons learned.

Education

• Spelman College

  Bachelor's degree, Economics

• Homewood-Flossmoor High School

  High School Diploma, Core

• Loyola University Chicago

  Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services